The present invention relates to an apparatus for pushing chip components such as chip capacitors or chip resistors from a guide plate into a holding plate, or from a holding plate into another holding plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,395,184 discloses a method of forming electrodes on both ends of chip components. According to this method, it is possible to simultaneously coat electrode material on ends of a number of these components by using a holding plate which comprises a number of through holes surrounded by elastic material. In this method, however, since components are charged into guide holes of a guide plate superposed on the holding plate, the holding plate is easily stained by flakes of the components, dust and the like falling thereon. Moreover, since components are downwardly pushed by pins from the guide plate into the holding plate, the components are upwardly projected from the through holes of the holding plate. Therefore, an extra step may be required for inverting the holding plate in advance of the electrode coating step.
In order to solve such problems, a guide plate disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,847,991 comprises a number of through holes each of which has a large-diameter portion and a small-diameter portion. In this case, a holding plate is superposed on the guide plate and components are upwardly pushed by pins from the guide plate into the holding plate, so that the components are held with one end thereof downwardly projected from the through holes of the holding plate.
However, the holding plate is generally provided with thousands of through holes. Therefore, when components are simultaneously inserted into such through holes by pins, a large force acts on the holding plate so as to deflect a central portion thereof. Thus, when the components are inserted in such a deflected holding plate, the insertion depths of the respective components are dispersed. Further, a large load is imposed on the holding plate, to reduce its durability.